July School Board Meeting Highlights

Here are some of the highlights from the July 29, Ephrata School Board meeting. Members of the public are always welcome to attend board meetings. Click for a list of meeting dates and times, board agendas and other information.

Secure Cell Phone Boxes Purchased for EHS/EMS
Two Ephrata School District schools are joining a growing movement across the country that requires cell phones to be deposited into secured boxes and not accessed during class. Starting this fall, EHS and EMS staff, along with a stakeholder group of students and families, will study the impact of requiring phones to be kept secured in teacher controlled storage. The district is committed to finding the best solution that will help limit classroom distractions and help students focus on learning. As plans are developed both schools will communicate expectations with students, families and staff. 

According to a 2023 report from Pew Research Center, roughly 46 percent of teens say they are online “almost constantly. Another 2023 report from Common Sense Media found half of kids, ages 11 to 17 receive at least 237 notifications on their phones in a typical day. Approximately 25 percent of these 237 messages are received during the school day.

The new, secure cell phone boxes cost roughly $75 each and will be purchased for each classroom in the two schools, for a total expense of approximately $5,500.

2024-2025 Budget Adopted
Following a public hearing, the Ephrata School Board unanimously passed a resolution adopting the district’s balanced budget for the coming school year. Ephrata Schools’ adopted General Fund Operating Budget for 2024-2025 is $51 million. Enrollment for 2024-2025 is budgeted at 2,545 annual Full Time Equivalent (FTE) students. As is past practice, the district has elected to budget conservatively and lower than the actual projected enrollment of 2,603 FTE. This practice provides a financial buffer to manage unexpected costs or emergencies.

Dollars that support Ephrata Schools come from several different sources:

• State resources make up 82.81% of all revenue. This includes monies provided based on actual student enrollment for basic education and categorical programs, such as supplemental programs for students in need. 
• Local taxes represent 4.44% of the district’s revenue. In 2022, voters last approved two Capital Levies that fund four new school buses as well as construction of a storage facility, upgrades to technology, building upgrades to the district’s transportation and maintenance center and field lighting upgrades at Ephrata sports complexes. An Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy is planned for 2025 that will finance the programs and initiatives that bring academic excellence to students everyday.
• Federal funding represents 8.18% of revenues and includes funds for specific grant programs.
• Local non-tax accounts for 4.57% of revenues. This includes fees, transportation reimbursements, investment earnings, facility use fees, etc. 

The Ephrata School District spends its budget in the following ways:

• Teaching and teaching support: 65.83% - this includes funding for instructional staff, teaching supplies, materials and textbooks, counselors and librarians, special education and related services, health services and student management and safety.
• Operational support: 16.36% - this includes operation and maintenance of buildings and grounds, utilities and plant security, student transportation, nutritional services, insurance, data processing and public activities.
• School building administration: 5.17% -this includes salaries for principals, assistant principals/dean of students, secretarial and clerical support and other expenses related to the management of a school building.
• Central administration: 12.64% - this includes expenses of the school board, superintendent’s office, human resources, business services and the supervision of activities including: instruction, maintenance and operations, student transportation and food services. District-wide functions like accounting, payroll, purchasing, budgeting, personnel services, auditing costs, insurance, legal costs and district-wide technology are also included in this area.

Summer Maintenance Projects / Transportation Update
Summer is a busy time for Ephrata School District maintenance personnel. With students and staff out of the buildings, it is the perfect time to make needed repairs and updates before fall. Staff completes much of the work themselves, but contracts jobs from time-to-time for efficiency or to handle tasks outside of employed skill sets. The board approved more than $200,000 of contracted maintenance projects for completion this summer, new asphalt, playground equipment installation and landscaping/curbing for Tiger Cub Preschool and new doors and painting at Parkway Intermediate.

The board also approved the purchase of a new special education school bus from RWC Group in Spokane. The $180,574 bus includes special equipment including a wheel chair lift and tracks in the floor for four wheelchairs. The district expects to receive the bus in the spring.

Trademarks Received for Ephrata School District Logos
Federal trademarks have been granted to Ephrata Schools for its three district logos, the “Ephrata E,” “Archer Tiger,” and “Hewitt Paw.” Vendors and community members interested in using these logos are encouraged to request formal authorization for use before creating graphics and merchandise that carry these marks. Check out the online form and rules for using the logo. District staff will launch an educational campaign this fall to bring awareness to this process.